HATS OFF! I think that is the most important characteristic of Kalyani that has inspired me to a great extent and it makes me aspire to be more like her: Hemal Dev on playing the titular role in Vidrohi

MUMBAI: Hemal Dev is an actress in the South & Marathi Entertainment industry. She is quite active on Instagram and will be making her Hindi TV debut with Star Plus upcoming show ‘Vidrohi’ based on the life of a Freedom Fighter & a Warrior Princess. Hemal plays Warrior Princess in the show & has done a lot of preparation for the same.

Tell us something about your character in the show ‘Vidrohi’?

So the character I play, Princess Kalyani, is a very ahead of her time kind of woman and that is what I love the most about her. In the 1800s, when women did not even have access to basic rights, Kalyani being her fearless self-dared to speak her mind no matter what! She was brought up that way and was an extremely confident woman. She will fight for the right thing and not shy away from taking the correct decisions even if that means going against her code or the society for that matter. I think that is the most important characteristic of Kalyani that has inspired me to a great extent and it makes me aspire to be more like her. (Also Read: Star Plus brings new show 'Vidrohi' in October) 

After having a successful acting career in the South Film Industry & Marathi Film Industry, what inspired you to take up this show?

Both the South and Marathi film industries have been really kind to me due to which I was inspired to choose this career path. And what really inspired me to take up this show or why this show is so special to me is mostly because the story is immensely inspiring. My character ‘Kalyani’ will inspire a lot of women across the world and that is something that really excited me to choose this show. It is a very meaty role, as in, Kalyani’s character, has some real things to say and do throughout the show and is not just eye candy or a damsel in distress which I absolutely love. She makes things happen and gets it done instead of waiting for everything to be fed to her in a silver spoon which is something that really excites me and I am certain that many women would look up to Kalyani. 

Tell us about the various preparations that you have done for your character?

A lot of preparations went into bringing Kalyani to life. I had to take up some extensive training in sword fighting and I was also introduced to the skill of horseback riding. A lot of work went behind developing my body language for the character. Sword fighting also helped me do so in many ways. I had to take up Hindi diction coaching classes as well because the Hindi that we speak on the show is very authentic to its time and complete justice to it had to be done. So yes, a lot was done to prepare for this role. 

Tell us about your look / costumes for this show?

The look that we have gone for in terms of costumes for Kalyani is extremely stylized but at the same time it's very true to its time and where she comes from, that is, Odisha. A lot of research was conducted so as to create the perfect look for Kalyani. It is strong yet has a feminine touch. It is quite royal too of course as she is a ‘Rajkumari’. All in all, the look is a dream, come true as every girl dreams of becoming a princess one day and I am living that dream. 

How do you feel working with Star Plus and on their new show Vidrohi?

Oh my God, where do I begin! Working with Star Plus today just proves that life comes back a full circle as I grew up watching Star Plus shows and here I am now, working alongside them. Who knew back then that it’ll be me on Star Plus one day and that is what is happening right now so I can rightfully say that dreams do come true and I am a living example of that right now. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would be on Star Plus someday. It goes without saying that it is the most popular channel on TV at the moment and has been for quite a while now and every Indian household has its sentiments attached to it, just like mine as it is so relatable so yes, this is an overly exhilarating opportunity.

Keep reading this space for more information. (Also Read: STUNNING! Baxi Jagabandhu aka Sharad Malhotra will sweep your hearts off with Star Plus' Vidrohi)